May 18, 2023
Last Oct., B.C. pharmacists gained the ability to administer more vaccines and renew or adjust prescriptions for a wider range of drugs. The move aimed to ease the pressures on B.C.'s healthcare system, including the ongoing shortage of family physicians and lengthy clinic wait times. Data show nearly 60,000 prescriptions were renewed or modified by pharmacists in Jan., more than double the monthly average of about 27,200 in the year before the changes. Pharmacists are also set to gain the power to prescribe drugs for contraception as well as minor ailments such as UTIs and allergies starting June 1, which will bring B.C. in line with other provinces.